Barcelona's Barrio Gótico: Treasure Hunt
Barcelona is a beloved city of just about anyone I’ve talked to who has visited so me getting to spend a week here for just play and no work feels long overdue. Luckily, I get to share this experience with my dear friend from Texas…Delisa Kik. Happily she’s a walker and always up for an adventure, so we started the day exactly how you would expect…walking the city looking for hidden treasures in the Gothic Quarter.
Barrio Gótico, Spanish for ‘Gothic Quarter,’ is one of the oldest and most beautiful districts in Barcelona. It is a labyrinth of small streets full of little bars, restaurants, shops, and hidden (and not so hidden) treasures. The neighborhood is part of the Cituat Vella, Catalan for ‘the old city,’ and is situated right in the city center.
The first treasure we went in search of is El Pont del Bisbe (Bishop’s Bridge) which was built for the Barcelona International Exposition in 1929. The bridge was designed by architect Joan Rubió I Bellver who proposed that ALL non-Gothic buildings in the immediate vicinity of Barcelona Cathedral should be demolished and replaced by new Gothic style buildings. I laugh every time I think of this because, as you can imagine, Rubió’s plan was completely rejected and the only thing he was allow to build is the tiny bridge, which links the Palau de la Generalitat to La Casa dels Canonges. There are many legends and superstitions surrounding the Pont del Bisbe. Hardly surprisingly, all of the legends relate to the gruesome skull and dagger motif which decorates the underside of the bridge. Some say that the skull was the architect’s way of expressing his displeasure after his original plan was turned down. Others have even suggested that, rather than being a stone carving, it is in fact a real human skull! Another legend says that if the dagger which traverses the skull is ever removed then the city of Barcelona will be destroyed. On a more positive note, one legend states that if you make a wish while walking backwards under the bridge and looking directly at the skull then that wish will come true. We, of course, walked backwards under it several times.
It is widely known that Barcelona, like many other Mediterranean cities, has strong historic ties with Rome. One of the oldest treasures in Barcelona is also one of the most hidden. Searching down narrow streets and alley ways, tucked away inside a medieval building, four 2,000-year-old 9m high Corinthian style columns from the Roman Empire’s Imperial Period still stand. These are nearly as old as the city itself. The Temple of Augustus dates back to the first century BC and was part of the Forum, at the centre of the Roman city of Barcino. Very cool to see.
Next we went searching for one of “the most mysterious additions” to the area’s living collection of street art. It is a hidden spider that one day appeared on the corner of Carrer de Montjuïc del Bisbe. Little is known of its origin but the piece has become one of the more permanent features of street art in the area. Why the spider is thought to be “mysterious” and none of the other painted bugs we found right next to it are even mentioned, I have no idea. It was very underwhelming but so much fun to search for!
Next up and off the beaten track we found Plaça Sant Felip Neri: a tiny, quiet, and charming square with a tragic history. In 1938, during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), the square was bombed and 42 people, mainly children who were playing on the square, died from the attack. The walls of the church and the buildings on the square remain damaged and scarred, a sad reminder of the horror.
Last but not least, we went searching for the ‘La Casa de l’Ardiaca‘ or ‘House of the Archdeacon’, a Medieval ecclesiastical building dating back to the 12th century. A small mailbox situated on its facade, which was designed by the 19th century Catalan architect Lluís Doménech i Montaner, was built upon request for the local Lawyers’ Association, which at the time was based within the building. The design is rich in symbolism: the swallows represent the idea that justice needs to fly high and rise above the worlds’ ills; the ivy symbolizes the difficulties lawyers back then already encountered with bureaucracy; the turtle represents the slow pace of the judicial system. Legend says anyone who touches the turtle will immediately be cured of the curse brought by the skull and dagger on the Bishop’s Bridge. Yes, we touched the turtle, one can’t be too careful when it comes to ancient curses.
AND then, one more hidden surprise was inside the building, a large flowered fountain balancing an egg on top of the spout of water. It turns out, Barcelona City Council, in conjunction with the Cathedral of Barcelona, decided to revive one of the oldest festivals celebrated for more then 600 years: Corpus. One of the ways it is celebrated is by 'l'ou com balla' -the dancing egg. Basically the idea is that an egg is placed in a fountain and dances suspended by a jet of water. “The Dancing Egg” dates back to 1637 and is unique to Barcelona. The egg is said to represent either the body of Christ or the circle of life. No one really knows for sure though.